CASUALTY LIST CONTINUES TO GROW UNDER WAR ON DRUGS STRATEGY

An editorial page cartoon by Stuart Carlson of the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel showed a judge saying solemnly, "OK, maybe more blacks than whites
get prison time for drug crimes, but you've got to expect casualties in the
war on blacks." Then, in the next panel he hastily corrects himself and
says, "er ... I mean, drugs!"

The cartoon probably was inspired by a report published by Human Rights
Watch titled "Punishment and Prejudice: Racial Disparities in the War on
Drugs." It could be offered as proof the judge was right the first time.

The report said that although five times more whites use drugs than blacks,
62 percent of drug offenders sentenced to the nation's state prisons are
black. In some states the percentage of those imprisoned runs as high as 90
percent.

There's disparity here, too. The report says the black/white incarceration
rate per 100,000 residents of each race in 1996 was 1,947/199 in Kansas,
1,536/137 in Nebraska, 1,702/245 in Missouri, 2,681/284 in Oklahoma, and
1,794/137 in Colorado.

Every state has sad tales of young men and women being sent to prison for
long terms without the possibility of parole, and it's costing taxpayers
millions of dollars. The Human Rights people say the big reasons most of
them are black is because law enforcement goes after those easiest to catch
in the drug business, and when they're caught they get the worst lawyers to
represent them.

As the report says, they are casualties of the War on Drugs, and they're
not the only ones. And, for every casualty, there is a "soldier" on the
law's side profiting from the miseries of the losers.

Niki Christopher is an assistant appellate defender for the state of
Kansas, and she recently wrote me:

"I am well aware of the costs of our War on Drugs, and the tremendous money
that is made by entities who purport to be fighting the war. Many of my
clients are parole or probation violators who, in order to meet the
conditions of their probation or parole, had to have drug testing as often
as four to eight times a month, at $25-$35 per pop. I had one client who
was required, because he was on both parole and probation, to report for
testing twice a week.

"He was making $5.25 an hour at a scrap metal yard, and had a wife and
child. He deliberately violated his parole because it was impossible for
him to make ends meet. ...

"The minimum wage jobs that drug offenders often have to settle for while
on probation or parole hardly cover the testing charges, let alone allow
them to make progress on paying fines, attorney and court fees, or the
restitution payments that they often are ordered to pay.

"Those ordered into drug counseling or treatment have to pay exorbitant
fees for that as well. Few of these programs are operated or funded by
government or non-profit organizations. Many private companies are
extracting enormous profits from residential treatment, out-patient
counseling, drug testing, etc.

"Forcing individuals into financial slavery to companies eager to make
profits from the War on Drugs is unconscionable."

Liz Boltz of Summerland, Calif., e-mailed me: "As a child welfare
investigator I am well aware of the shortage of funding for treatment and
rehabilitation. None of the 'found' money (seized from drug dealers by law
enforcement agencies) trickles down to children who are either prenatally
exposed to drugs or forced to live in foster homes because of the drug
problems of their parents."

The state of Missouri has taken steps to see that some of the cash and
property confiscated from drug peddlers goes to educational programs. Major
Murdock of Manhattan wrote:

"The editorial in the June 26 Kansas City Star summarized the result of an
ongoing Star investigation into the disbursal of drug seizures on the part
of Missouri law enforcement agencies. Seems law enforcement has been told
that from now on it will share the wealth with the state's educational
programs, as has for some time been mandated by law."

It's not that way in Kansas, where state law directs that the cash and
property seized, including the $3.7 million recently taken in Colby, go to
law enforcement agencies, and be used only for more law enforcement.

However, a news release from the International Drug Strategy Institute, of
which Topeka Dr. Eric Voth is chairman, says at least five states are
voting on legalizing marijuana, and also that there are "several
initiatives" in states that would strip drug forfeiture money from law
enforcement agencies.

You can bet politicians smelled it, and now they want it.

Note: Dick Snider's e-mail address is dsnider@cjonline.com.